New Beginnings
by Oscar T
Summary: A group of possible Legion Academy students are invited for a preview weekend. They get much more than they bargained for.


Day of the BeastMaster: An Academy Story

Prologue

Hawthorne Academy

"Serving your children and the universe since 2052."

Chapter One

The heavily built man stood quietly before the door marked Headmaster, a folder of papers clutched in one hand. Looking first one way, then the other down the quiet hallway, he nodded once and placing his hand on the doorknob, opened the door and stepped inside.

"Hey, Mark," greeted the cute brunette seated at the desk just inside the door, "you get the kids bedded down?"

Mark Watson nodded wearily as he moved to his desk, pitched the folder of papers into the mess already there and sank into his heavily padded chair with a sigh. He watched through half-closed eyes as his wife rose and moved to the bar, quickly mixed a drink and came to sit in his lap. He smiled up at her, sipped the proffered drink and lifted the folder again.

"It gets harder every day, Joy," he opened the folder and lifted several sheets of paper. "The kids are getting more powerful, more trained, and more outspoken."

Joy Carole Watson smiled and ran her hands through her husband's hair.

Mark looked up at her. "The kids turned in their ideas for codenames this evening." He grinned ruefully, "Just listen to these; we've got a Terrapin, a Fogmaker, En Fuego, The Stopper, Birdbrain, Devil Princess, Mix Master, Oopsie-Daisy, The Twirler, and last, but certainly not least, Tough Stuff. Do you believe that, Tough Stuff?"

Joy tried to hide her grin as she took the list from her distraught husband. "It will be ok, Mark. I'll put the computer to work on these, I'm sure we can make improvements." She took the list back to her desk and began encoding the entries as Mark sipped his drink. "Try to remember, honey, they are only children. We were much older when we got our start and I do remember this one guy who went by Mr. Fix-it for over a year."

Mark looked at his wife and then had to grin. "I know, I know. Mr. Fix-it does seem kind of silly now." He sipped his drink again, then asked, "Is everything ready for this weekend?"

Joy keyed in the last entry and nodded, "Yes, I was finalizing everything when you came in. All components are in place, and all equipment has been checked and rechecked. I feel certain we are ready to provide these kids with a weekend they will remember."

Mark stood and moved to stand behind his wife. "I hope so., they've all worked very hard this year and deserve to blow off some steam."

"This school was an inspired idea." Joy moaned softly as Mark began to massage her neck. "These kids are the next generation of Protectors, some of them anyway. We need to be steering them, guiding them, on the correct path." Her words trailed off and her eyes closed as she lost her self in the strong touch of her lover and soul mate.

"You sound like an Academy brochure, darling," Mark whispered as his lips found the sensitive spot on the back of Joy's neck and began to nibble.

Joy sat upright so quickly that Mark's teeth bit his own lip and he yelped in pain and surprise. he stared in wonder at his wife.

"Not now, Mark," she chided, "we still have work to do tonight."

Mark's look of confusion changed to a pouting frown. "Oh, all right, if you insist." He moved back to his desk and once more lifted the folder of paperwork. "But, if we have to work," he grinned at his wife, "can we at least work naked?" His eyes pleaded as he grinned at her.

Luornu looked across the room at her lover, then glanced at the door. "Are you sure the kids are down for the night?"

"Bedded down, tucked in, drinks of water and potty trips taken care of." Chuck's grin grew wider as his wife began to unclasp her clothing. It soon became a race to see who would get completely naked first. Luornu won, if only because Chuck kept stopping to admire her.

"Now, you behave, Chuck," Luornu warned, "or there will be no fun tonight."

Chuck Taine tried, and failed, to look contrite. "Would I misbehave when there's work to be done?"

"You better not," Luornu scolded, the effect of the scolding lessened somewhat by the hardening of her nipples. "Now. fill me in on this weekend's attendees."

Chuck sat down behind his desk, and Luornu frowned briefly as the rock hard object of her attention sank out of sight. He lifted the first information sheet and began, "We have a total of ten prospective students, four boys and six girls. In alphabetical order, they are, Rhys Clari of the planet Palades, age 12, code-named Sparkle Girl..."

"Chuck, try to do this without making those awful faces," Luornu giggled. "I told you we will fix those."

"Ok, I'll try," Chuck grinned. "As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted, all ruling class Paladians are born with crystals embedded in their foreheads. Crystals which heighten some physical or mental ability. Young Miss Clari was born with two, one in the palm of each hand, making her an oddity and somewhat of an outcast. She has the ability to fly at superhuman speeds, a fair amount of invulnerability, and the gem in her left palm alters the perceptions of others."

Luornu was busy making notes on a data pad.

"Prospect number two," continued Chuck, "is Royston Elihu from Holoferenes..."

"Are all of these from the outlying worlds?" broke in Luornu.

Chuck, trying his best to look annoyed, nodded. "I believe most of them are. As the U.P. expands and new worlds are discovered, I'm sure we will be seeing more of the youngsters of each world. Now, may I continue?"

Luornu looked up, caught Chuck's eye, and placed one finger in her mouth, then withdrew the digit, glistening with her saliva, and slowly lowered her finger to encircle her right nipple. "By all means, Mr. Taine."

Chuck's mouth dropped open at this wanton display, then he returned his eyes to the paper in his hand. "Mr. Ehilu, I mean Elihu, age 14, who wants to be called," Chuck paused at the quiet giggle from his wife, then continued, "wants to be called Turtle Boy, has the ability to form a force field which, by the way, resembles a turtle shell, hence the name."

"Does it get really hard?" cooed Luornu, grinning wickedly.

"Dammit, Lu." Chuck rose to his feet. "You're the one who wanted to work."

"Ok, ok, I'll be good." Luornu lowered her eyes and looked like a scolded child.

"You better be," Chuck threatened. "Now where was I?"

Luornu giggled and almost whispered, "Showing me how hard it gets."

Chuck tried to glower at his wife but found himself unable to stop grinning. "That does it, little girl. You've earned a spanking before bedtime. Now behave, before I change my mind."

"Yes, sir."

Joy's grin grew wider, but she made no more comments as she took notes on the rest of the attendees. They were a widely divergent grouping.

Glorianne Essex, of mixed Earth and Hajorian parentage, age 13, code-named Marvelous Lass, was a mute who communicated telepathically. She was a teleporter, and had shown some precognitive abilities.

Manning Fitzhugh IX, of Earth, age 14, code-named Judo Boy. Manny, as he liked to be called, had been trained from birth in all the varied martial arts. He wore a lightweight body armor that made him virtually invulnerable to physical attack, and was thus almost unbeatable in personal combat.

Josiah Grim, of the earth Colony on New Valhalla, age 13. Josiah was a direct descendent of Jericho Grim, founder of New Valhalla, and was in line to become the eleventh Grim to be Herald of the Temple of Asgard. Due to a freak incident involving the Temple's talisman, the Chalice of Odin, Josiah had gained increased strength, speed, durability, and reflexes. He carried the code-name Chalice Boy.

Kaj Kitwana, of the planet Indaminet, age 12, code-named Fog Girl. Kaj had the ability to create and control vast amounts of fog, in varying degrees of thickness.

Willow Olna, home planet unknown, age 11, code-named Devil Girl. Willow had been brought to the Academy by the Science Police in shackles. Arrested for petty theft on Starhaven, this weekend was part of her community service. She possessed the ability to cling to any known surface, and the ability to fade to invisibility in the slightest of shadows. Luornu made a note to keep an eye on this one, something in the report just seemed...incomplete.

Che' Xavyera, from Bikolene, age 14, code named Bird Girl. Che' was another outcast, as she did not possess the true wings of her avian people, only a thick collection of feathers under each arm. She lacked the true flight of her people, but could glide on air currents for short distances. She was also different from the norm, on her planet, in that she did not fear the night, and possessed strength, speed, and reflexes far above the norms for her people.

Jilliane Zarita of Musjid, age 13, code-named Trapper Girl. Jilliane possessed psionic abilities, which manifested themselves as a sort of mind-web she used to ensnare or entangle objects.

Joffre Zilpha of Tsauran, age 13, code-named Lizard Boy. The Tsaurans were a reptilian race. Joffre had inherited both the increased strength of his people and the tough scaly hide they possessed, in addition he had received the power of flight thanks to a set of large leathery wings.

Luornu made the last entry into the data pad, then raised her eyes to find her husband staring at her, a twinkle in his eyes. She watched as he rose from his desk, and it became evident that he no longer had work on his mind. She grinned and felt her body responding to his evident desire, her nipples once again became hard and flushed. She too, rose and bared herself to her husband's eyes.

Chuck moved around his desk, then sat on the edge and stared thoughtfully at his wife. Confusion briefly crossed Joy's face, then Chuck grinned and crossed his arms across his chest. "I think it's time, young lady," he stated in a no nonsense tone of voice.

Joy's eyes took on a twinkle of their own, as she dropped her head and responded in her best little girl voice, "No, headmaster, I promise to be good from now on."

"I don't think a promise is going to be enough, this time," Chuck responded as he started across the office toward Luornu.

Luornu squealed and ran to the side door, flung it open to reveal the bedroom beyond, and ran into the room she shared nightly with her husband.

Chuck laughed as he followed her. Soon the office was filled with the sound of flesh striking flesh, and the delighted squeals of Luornu, as Chuck lovingly spanked his delectable wife's rapidly reddening bottom. The sounds of the spanking were soon replaced with the moans and gasps of two lovers enjoying each other fully, then the silence of sleep.

At exactly 4:45 AM, Chuck and Luornu Taine were rudely awakened by an explosion which rocked the Academy building to its foundation. Immediately, the intruder alarms began to blare their warning klaxon. Chuck rushed, naked, to the office and keyed up the defense grid readout. After a brief perusal of the readout he keyed the room intercoms into life and announced. "The Academy has been compromised. At least one, and perhaps more intruders are in the building. All prospective students meet in the assembly hall immediately."

Chapter Two

Chuck and Luornu dressed quickly in standard Academy issue uniforms and hurried down the hallway to the Assembly room. They arrived scant moments before the first of the students, Che' Xavyera, who burst through the door in a near panic. Chuck's mouth dropped open at the sight of the young girl, sans clothing of any kind, her race's natural covering of fine downy feathers did little to hide the fact that girl was very much on her way to becoming a young woman. Luornu quickly pulled Che' into a side room, before any other students arrived.

The next to enter the room, actually the next two, were Joffre Zilpha, and Josiah Grim, each shoving and elbowing as they tried to rush through the door simultaneously.

"What was that explosion," Joffre blurted, "it was an explosion, right?"

"Well," Chuck began.

"Of course it was an explosion," sneered Josiah, "he said there were intruders, what did ya think, that was them knocking?"

"Hush, boy," retorted the taller, scaly skinned youth, "Can't you see your betters are trying to talk?"

"Don't boy me," bristled the smaller Josiah, "I'm the same age as you, and don't make me laugh with that betters nonsense, you walking wallet."

"GENTLEMEN!" thundered Chuck, before the two could come to blows. "We don't have time to fight amongst ourselves. Be seated until the others arrive." Chuck's dark look gave the boys no real choice and they sank sullenly into chairs, as far apart as possible. Chuck made a mental note to speak to Josiah about bigotry and its place, or lack of, at the Academy.

The doors burst open at that moment to allow the next grouping of kids to enter, led by Rhys Clari, and including Royston Elihu, Manny Fitzhugh, and a tearful Kaj Kitwana.

"Oh grife, Mr. Taine," wailed the frightened 12 year old, "what are we gonna do? Are the Legionnaires gonna come rescue us? What does he want? Is it a he?"

Chuck sighed and tried to smile in a calm manner. "Settle down, Kaj, everything will be all right."

Any further conversation was cut off by the arrival of the remaining students, Glori Essex, Willow Olna, and Jilliane Zarita. The students quickly began all speaking at once, some asking Chuck questions, some talking amongst themselves. The din threatened to deafen Chuck. He shook his head in desperation and opened his mouth to attempt to shout them down, when the room again shook with the concussion of another explosion. In the silence that followed, Chuck's voice sounded ridiculously loud.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," he began, then realized he was shouting into a deathly quiet room. "Ahem...please be seated, we will have the situation under control very soon, I'm sure."

As the youngsters settled into the padded chairs, Luornu and a now decently dressed Che' slipped back into the room.

"Please try to remain calm," Chuck continued. "The computer is analyzing the pertinent data as we speak and we will soon have answers to most of your questions." He paused to look around the room at the anxious faces before adding under his breath, "I hope."

Luornu slipped into the computer chair and began to key up the needed information. "It appears that we have more than one intruder," she informed Chuck. "The computer is registering eight life, no...wait, make that six life signatures." She shot her husband a look that showed the worry she was feeling. "Chuck, I think that's more than we can handle alone." At his nod, she began keying again, "I'm attempting to contact Legion headquarters."

"Good idea, Lu," Chuck nodded again, "We need some assistance, our job is to keep these children safe." Chuck smiled to himself as he watched the reactions of the children, sure they were frightened, but most of them bristled a bit at being called children. That was good.

"Chuck?" Joy's worried voice broke his train of thought and he turned to his wife. "Something seems to be jamming the com unit, I don't think our signal is getting out. We may be cut off from help. I've activated the S.P. call and it, too, appears to be bouncing back."

"That's not possible," the concern was also evident in Chuck's voice as he moved to stand behind Luornu, gazing intently at the screen.

The students were beginning to realize the gravity of the situation, and reacting on vastly different levels. Both Josiah and Joffre were trying to gain supporters to them, expressing their lack of fear. Kaj Kitwana was again threatening to tip over the edge into hysteria. Willow Olna, the youngest of them all, was strangely quiet, sitting off to the side, alone.

Chuck was leaning over Joy's shoulder now, trying to help her break through the communications block. "Maybe if you try..."

The room was again, shocked into silence, as the interbuilding comm unit, blared static. As each of the twelve weekend residents of the Academy stared at the room's speaker, a loud, harsh voice came over the net.

"I AM RROMRALAV, THE BEASTMASTER. I HAVE TAKEN CONTROL OF YOUR PATHETIC ACADEMY. EXPECT NO HELP. I CONTROL YOUR COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM. I CONTROL YOUR LIVES. I HAVE RELEASED MY PETS IN THE BUILDING, YOU ARE COMPLETELY CUT OFF FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD. SURRENDER NOW AND SAVE YOURSELF PAIN AND SUFFERING. RESIST ME AND DIE SCREAMING!"

In the silence that followed, the students looked from face to face, each finally bringing their expectant gazes to the faces of Chuck and Luornu Taine.

Chuck met the gaze of his wife, then turned to face the students. "Everyone remain calm, please. We are safe for the time being, and if anyone can break the communications lock-out, it is my wife. We need to remain together and stay calm." He reached onto the computer console and pressed a key, silently eight panels slid open revealing eight sets of standard issue Academy duty uniforms, sky blue body suits with midnight blue gloves, belts and boots, and each monogrammed with the name of one of the students. "Everyone take the uniform bearing his or her name, return to your rooms and change. Report back here as quickly as possible. This floor should be safe, for now, and the uniforms will make identification easier, should the need arise."

With many a doubtful look, the students rose and moved to take the uniforms. When no one seemed inclined to leave the room, Luornu suggested they go in pairs, for safety's sake. This simple plan seemed to calm most of the students and they quickly paired off and departed for their rooms. As soon as the room was clear, Luornu turned to her husband. "Chuck, I'm sorry about the mistake in the number of life signs, I hope..."

"Don't worry, Lu. It's a mistake anyone might have made, considering the circumstances." Chuck kissed his wife quickly, but deeply. "As soon as the kids return, open a comm-link with Rromralav, if you can."

"Will do," Luornu Taine looked deeply into the eyes of the man she loved. "You know, I hope, that you are STILL my hero."

Chuck smiled warmly, and again kissed her, reluctantly ending the kiss after a brief time. "And I'll still storm any castle to rescue you, fair Damsel."

"Let's hope this doesn't come to that, darling."

"Right," Chuck was jarred back into the present dilemma, "continue to try getting through or around the comm lock, and if you can get a reading on these pets that were mentioned, I'd like to have an idea of what we're facing."

As Luornu turned back to the computer station, the first of the students began filing back into the room. As each one made his or her entrance, Chuck couldn't help smiling at the attempts to personalize the standard uniforms.

Josiah Grim and Royston Elihu were the first to return. Josiah had decided to wear his personal, fur-trimmed boots, rather than the standard issue, and was carrying a huge battle mace in this right hand. Royston had opted for the simple; he had replaced the standard belt buckle with one shaped into a representation of a turtle shell.

Next to return was a foursome including Che' Xavyera, Rhys Clari, Willow Olna, and Jilliane Zarita. Che had chosen to render her uniform sleeveless, thereby freeing the arm feathers she needed to glide. Rhys had donned her own boots and gloves, bright yellow with a pattern of black diamonds; Willow had donned a large pair of goggles, and not worn any boots or gloves, and Jilliane had somehow attached a cape of some kind of lace that resembled a spider's webbing.

Just as Chuck was beginning to worry, the last of the students burst through the door. Joffre Zilpha was practically dragging both Glori Essex and Kaj Kitwana, with Manny Fitzhugh bringing up the rear. Joffre was decked out in the standard uniform, but had added a black jacket, Glori had opted for the skirted version of the uniform and added thigh high boots, Kaj was wearing gloves and boots adorned with fringe, and Manny had belts criss-crossing his waist and had removed the fingers from his gloves.

"Sorry, sir," Manny started as soon as they were in the room, "we had to wait on the girls, they was scared and so we protected them."

"Not a problem, Manny," Chucked smiled at the boy, "I'm just glad we all made it back. Now-"

"Sir?" interrupted Manny, "shouldn't we be going by our code-names? Like I'm Judo Boy, and Joffre is Lizard Boy?"

Chuck winced at the names, then tried to smile as Luornu handed him a sheet of computer printout. "Yes, I do think code-names are a good idea. We ran each of you through our computer program and we have some suggestions as far as code-names go." Chuck paused then quickly continued, "Not that yours weren't fine, but we thought you might like these better. Answer when I call your name."

"Rhys Clari."

"Here."

"From Sparkle Girl to Kaleidoscope?"

"Oh, cool!"

Chuck smiled and continued, "Royston Elihu."

"Here, sir."

"From Turtle Boy to Hardshell?"

"Hardshell," the boy repeated, "slammin'"

"Glorianne Essex."

~yes, sir.~

Chuck was startled to hear her voice in his head, then remembered she communicated only through telepathy. "From Marvelous Lass to Labyrinth."

The young girl smiled, sweetly. ~thank you, sir.~

"Manny Fitzhugh III"

"Judo Boy is here and ready."

"From Judo Boy to Mismatch."

"Mismatch is here and ready."

In this manner, Chalice Boy became Ragnarok, Fog Girl became Myst, Devil Girl became Deviant, Trapper Girl became Snare, Lizard Boy transformed into Dragonfly, and Bird Girl soared forth as NightOwl. As the youngsters milled about trying out and admiring each other's new names, Chuck and Luornu Taine shared a secret, relieved smile.

"All right, everyone sit down," Chuck raised his voice to be heard. When the students had taken seat again, he continued, "I'm going to try and contact this Rromralav and find out what he wants." The room became deathly quiet while Chuck turned to Luornu and she threw the switch that would open the inter-building communications.

Chapter Three

"Rromralav, I know you can hear me. I wish to open negotiations. What is it you want?" Chuck's voice sounded harsh echoing back through the speakers in the assembly room. "I am Chuck Taine, headmaster here at the Academy. We have children here. I wish to negotiate their release."

Some of the children in question again bristled at being called such. Voices began to whisper and complain. The speakers suddenly blared into life, startling all into silence again.

"I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, LEGIONNAIRE, YOU AND YOUR WIFE. THERE WILL BE NO RELEASE. ALL IN THE ACADEMY WILL SUFFER FOR YOUR CRIMES."

"What crimes?" Desperation crept into Chuck's voice. "I have committed no crimes." He glanced quickly at his wife, who shrugged her ignorance of any crimes.

"CRIMES COMMITTED BY ONE LEGIONNAIRE ARE SHARED BY ALL. YOU, CHUCK TAINE, DECIDED THAT RROMRALAV WAS NOT FIT TO BE A LEGIONNAIRE, NOW YOU WILL PAY WITH YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF THOSE YOU PROTECT."

Chuck signaled Luornu, who ended the communication. Chuck wandered over next to his wife, a confused look on his face. "I decided? What is he talking about, Lu?"

Luornu Taine was busy keying data into the console. "I can only guess that he must be a rejected applicant, either here at the academy, or in a Legion tryout. I'm cross referencing now, trying to ascertain when you served on such tryout committees."

"Good idea, Lu." Chuck smiled despite the gravity of the situation. "Just proves one more time who is the brains of this outfit."

Luornu Taine, absentmindedly blew her husband a kiss, then returned her concentration to the computer.

Chuck looked around the room, taking in the faces of the students who were watching each move he made. "First things first, we need to get these children out of here to safety."

"Ummmmm...excuse me, Mr. Taine?" Joffre Zilpha rose to his feet. "I, well we, actually," he looked around at the surrounding faces, "we would appreciate it if you stopped calling us children. Most of us are approaching adulthood, and we came here to learn to be Legionnaires, not run at the first sign of trouble. Let us help, we can take this guy."

"Spoken like a true hero, Dragonfly," Chuck smiled at the brave young man, "but under the circumstances..."

Josiah Grim leaped to his feat, knocking over his chair in the process. "The lizard guy is right. Put me in charge, I'll make short work of this beastmaster fella."

Chuck observed the darkening faces of several students. He considered briefly, then spoke sternly to the boy, "Mr. Grim, in the future, you will either address your classmates by their codename or given name. I will not, no, even more, the Legion will not, tolerate bigotry in any shape or form. Am I understood?"

The face of the young man showed his distain. "Yeah, right. He knows I'm just kidding." He didn't even glance at Joffre. "Anyway, let me have a crack at this guy. You can even let him go along with me."

"I don't think so," began Chuck, then he stopped when he felt a hand on his arm. Looking down, he found himself looking into the soft brown eyes of Rhys Clari.

"Please, Mr. Taine, sir. Give us a chance, I can't just sit here doing nothing." Her eyes brimmed with tears she was determined not to let escape.

Chuck smiled down at the frightened young girl, trying so hard to be brave. "Now just be calm, Kaledoscope. I don't think that putting you kids in danger is a very..."

"Actually, Chuck," interrupted Luornu, "we may not have much choice. Rromralav seems to have jammed the computers totally. We are without any source of information at all. The last reading I got had life forms both above and below this floor, large life signs if I read them right. We may be cut off completely from any escape."

"Grife! Can anything else go wrong?" Chuck slammed his hands down on a table in frustration, causing a round of quiet laughs to roam the room. After a moment with his eyes closed, leaning, hands down, on the table Chuck Taine, Academy headmaster, former Legionnaire, straightened his spine and looked around the room with clear eyes. "OK, here's how we will do it, and you students listen and listen well. I will brook no nonsense. You will do exactly as I say, am I understood?"

Chuck's fierce look was met with a chorus of 'Yes, sir's.

"All right, we will be doing reconnaissance only. No direct contact with either Rromralav or his pets. We are seeking information on what we face, as well as possible escape routes." Chuck paused to look around the room. The kids were holding up well so far, both Dragonfly and Ragnarok seemed eager to begin. Most of the rest of the kids seemed frightened, but determined. "Three teams. One goes down, the other two to the upper floors. I will lead team one, which will be Ragnarok, Mismatch, and Myst." He saw, but ignored the disgusted look on Josiah's face. "Team two will be led by Luornu, with Hardshell, Kaleidoscope, and Labyrinth." He looked around and saw all three nodding. Chuck paused, before making the next assignments, anticipating the explosion. "Team three is Dragonfly, NightOwl, Snare and Deviant. Joffre, you're in charge."

"Now, wait just a minute!" Josiah was on his feet before Chuck finished speaking. "Why does that liz...he gets to lead a team? I'm a natural leader. I have been trained..."

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!" Chuck's voice thundered in the room. The stunned Ragnarok slowly sank into his chair. Chuck moved several steps closer to the young man and towered over him. "I would no more put you in charge of one of these teams, than I would turn you over to Rromralav. You are a hot-headed bigot, and I'm not sure you even deserve to be here at the Academy. You are on thin ice, young man. Now do as you're told. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

Josiah Grim's gulp was audible in every corner of the room. he stared wide eyed at the angry headmaster for a brief moment, then slowly nodded his head up and down.

"Good." Chuck walked back to the front of the room, looked out over the assembled kids, and shook his head slowly. "Luornu, your team will go down, mine and Dragonfly's will go up." He looked directly at Joffre. "We are looking only, do not attempt to make contact. At the first sign of trouble, return here. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, same goes for you Luornu." He glanced at his wife, who looked up from the computer to give him 'the look.' Chuck chuckled quietly, "OK, I know, you know. Everyone ready?" Receiving nods from all concerned, Chuck turned back to Luornu. "Lu, stay here and try to get the computer operational."

Hardshell spun to face Chuck. "She's staying here? Does that mean I'm in charge of our team? I mean, she can't be both places."

Luornu stood from the computer and split. Ten mouths dropped open as one Luornu reseated herself at the computer, and the other crossed the room to place her hand on Hardshell's shoulder. She glanced back at Chuck and grinned. "It's been too long, Chuck. They forgot I'm also called Duo Damsel, for very obvious reasons."

Chuck's grin matched hers, as he listened to the voices murmuring.

"Oh yeah, she's from Cargg."

"Duo Damsel, how cool."

"How'd she..."

"Man, two of her, wonder if she'd like to make a sandwich?"

Chuck cut his eyes to Manny Fitzhugh, who caught the look and blushed deeply. Chuck then looked to his wife, hoping she hadn't heard. Her wink told her she had, but was not offended. He reached out and pulled a drawer open, withdrawing a small wooden box. "We will need to stay in touch, and Rromralav obviously is monitoring the comm system." He open the box to reveal ten rings. The kids crowded around as they recognized the circlets as Legion flight rings. "These will allow us to stay in touch. They are not, repeat NOT, to be used for flying." He quickly passed the rings to each student, who reverently slipped them on.

Chuck paused a moment as he remembered the first time he had slipped that ring on his finger. He knew without asking that all of the students were lost in their own dreams of glory as a full-fledged Legionnaire. He gave them a moment more, then brought them back to reality. "All right. Lu, take Lift One down one floor and recon. Dragonfly, Lift Two, and up one floor. I'll go up two in Lift Three. Everyone be careful and play it safe, NO heroics."

Luornu stepped up to kiss her husband, then gathered her team and moved down the hallway toward the lift shafts. Joffre Zilpha nodded to Chuck and followed with his team. Before either could reach the lifts, the lights in the hallway blinked twice and went out.

"Great, just great," mumbled Chuck as he led his team down the hall in the other direction. Via his flight ring he contacted the others, "Lu, Dragonfly, be extra careful. Move slowly and be ready to retreat."

The answers sounded loud in his ear.

"Yes, sir," from Dragonfly.

"I love you, Chuck," from Luornu.

As he reached the lift and opened the door, Chuck Taine said a silent prayer, wanting only to survive the next few minutes without anyone getting injured. He didn't even want to think about anything worse. Ushering his team into the lift, he closed the door and keyed in the floor two above, and waited.

Chapter Four

The lift jarred to a stop and the door slid silently open. For a long moment, nobody moved.

"If I remember the Academy catalog at all right," whispered Jilliane, "this floor is mostly classrooms and lecture halls."

The doors sliding closed once again finally broke the trance-like stillness of the youngsters. Dragonfly reached to hit the button controlling the door. "When the door opens, I'll go right with you Snare; NightOwl, you and Deviant go to the left. Let's recon the floor as quickly as possible and then get back downstairs."

The door slid open and the four youngsters poured out into the hallway. In the dim light it was difficult to see clearly, but the hallway appeared to be empty.

"All right," whispered Dragonfly, "quickly, to the end of the hall and back. Watch out for...everything."

The two pairs of young heroes moved a few steps down the hallway. NightOwl reached out and stopped Deviant, then peered intently down the dark hall. "Something is moving, I can almost make it out."

Deviant moved one step to the side and looked where NightOwl was pointing. Suddenly she leaped up to grasp the ceiling and pulled herself up, clinging tightly, pressing her body to the ceiling. "Acid Snake!" she screamed. "Move, Che'!"

NightOwl threw herself against the door across the hallway and tumbled into the classroom as a large, sinuously bulky shape shot past them in the tight hallway. She glimpsed red and golden scales, then heard Deviant's voice raised again. "Dragonfly, Snare, LOOK OUT!"

Dragonfly and Snare turned as one and found themselves facing a large serpentine shape, quickly closing on them, jaws opened wide, saliva dripping onto the carpet as it came. Snare immediately threw her hands up and fired her psi-web. At the same time, Dragonfly brushed past her, throwing off her aim, and became entangled in the web, meant for the snake. He folded his wings tightly to his body as he fell and rolled right into the gaping maw of the animal. The hall was filled with the screams of the boy as the serpent coated him in saliva, wrapped him in its coils, and began to drag him down the hallway.

Snare, cursing under her breath, dissipated her psi-web and tried to get an angle to fire off another. Struggling to take aim on the twisting, rolling serpent, Snare ran forward several steps and raised her hands again, as the snake lifted its head high off the floor. Before she could fire her web, she felt a tingle on her left shoulder, then she too screamed as a feeling of intense cold spread from her shoulder down her arm and she lost all feeling in the appendage.

"Grife, those things are fast," Deviant said to herself, then lifted her voice and screamed, "NightOwl, we need your help."

The young Bikolenian girl stuck her head out of the classroom just as the snake dragged Dragonfly past. His foot struck her in the temple, sending her tumbling back into the classroom, stunned.

After the serpent slithered past her position, Deviant dropped to the floor, drew back her arm. Her hand flared with darkness and she brought her arm forward in a throwing motion. A knife shaped piece of darkness flew down the hallway striking the serpent just behind the head. The snake swirled wildly in the narrow hall, dropped Dragonfly to the carpet, and quickly slithered out of sight around a turn in the hall.

Luornu took the brief time in the lift to outline the procedure her team would use to recon the lower level, which consisted of the pool area and the med labs. "Hardshell, you will stay close to me at point, at the first sign of trouble, raise your force field and we retreat. Labyrinth, stay in the middle, your powers are the least defensive, so take special care. Kaleidoscope, you will bring up the rear, in case of an attack from behind, try to slow it down." The lift bumped to a stop and Luornu looked around at the nervous faces of her charges. "Everybody set?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," two voiced chorused, like a lesson learned through rote repetition; the third voice, Labyrinth's, Luornu heard only in her head.

Luornu reached for the button that would open the door, then paused and looked again at the children. "It's going to be all right. We will cross past the pool and try to reach the infirmary. The computer there has its own emergency beacon. I hope it may still be operational." She keyed the button and the door slid open. The small party eased into the open area that served as a foyer for the pool.

Hardshell moved quickly to stand beside Luornu, hands already raised in a defensive position. Labyrinth and Kaleidoscope crowded closely behind him, both twisting their heads from side to side trying to see everything at once. Luornu led them through the door to the pool area. Steam could be seen rising off of the placid water, giving evidence that the pool was heated and warmer than the room.

Luornu pointed across the dimly lit room. "There," she whispered, "that red door is the infirmary. Let's move around the pool and check that first."

Moving cautiously, but quickly, Luornu led the three kids around the south end of the pool and began the 100 yard trek down its length to the, no longer visible, red door. As they rounded the corner of the pool, Labyrinth silently stopped and turned back, looking wildly around the room, then slowly turned to face the calm water. The young girl dropped to one knee and stared intently into the dark depths of the pool.

~mrs taine~

Luornu stopped and turned at the sound of Labyrinth's voice in her mind. She gasped when she saw the young girl kneeling beside the pool ten to fifteen yards behind. "Kaleidoscope," she snapped, "you are supposed to be the rear guard."

"I got it covered," the young girl answered, then turned to see Labyrinth also. "Grife!"

~mrs taine,~ Labyrinth repeated, ~ there's something in the water, i think. something big.~

"Glori, get away from there," Luornu shouted and began to push back past Hardshell. She watched in horror as a thin green tentacle stretched out of the water and wrapped itself around Labyrinth's slender ankle and yanked the girl into the water. "Damn," she hissed through gritted teeth and shoved Hardshell hard with her shoulder.

The sudden blow triggered the youngster's power and Luornu found her path blocked by a large green force field, that did resemble a huge turtle shell.

"Move, Hardshell, and drop that field." The desperation in Joy's voice had the effect of throwing cold water in Hardshell's face. He dropped the force field and backed against the wall. Luornu dropped to her knees at the edge of the pool and tried to see into the murky depths. All she saw was her own reflection and that of Kaleidoscope who was peering over her shoulder.

The frightened Kaleidoscope, tears running down her face, was mumbling over and over, "It's my fault, it's all my fault."

Luornu spun to face Hardshell and pointed, "There, that room there, breathing gear, quickly get me a mask." As the young man sprinted for the room, she turned quickly to shake Kaleidoscope, "No! It's not your fault, you weren't the one in charge."

Kaleidoscope's scream of terror alerted Luornu to the new threat. She twisted to the side in an attempt to avoid whatever the girl was pointing toward. Rolling to her feet, she turned to see a larger tentacle stretching up out of the pool, moving and twisting in a serpentine manner. Luornu twisted her head and yelled, "Hardshell, hurry!"

The tentacle made no move to attack, just swayed back and forth above the water. Luornu stared again into the pool, trying to see the creature that was attached to the tentacle. Mostly she saw her own reflection, then the form of Kaleidoscope rose up behind her, holding her left hand out toward the pool surface.

"Give her back, you monster."

"Ryhs, NO!" Joy's warning came too late as she saw the light flare from the young girl's hand, then her world turned upside down.

Hardshell came running back to the pool, breathing mask in hand, to find Kaleidoscope crying hysterically, and ripples slowly widening on the surface of the pool.

Chuck also spent the lift ride filling his team in on his plan for scanning the gym, primarily telling Ragnarok he was being watched and not to step out of line. When the lift door slid open, the four figures quickly scurried out and left, trying to see in the near total darkness.

"Grife, Mr. Taine," Mismatch's whisper sounded loud in the stillness, "I can't see a thing."

"Quiet, Mismatch," Chuck barked, more sternly than he intended, "I have a feeling we're not alone in here."

Ragnarok suddenly stood straight up and pointed, "There!"

Chuck turned to chastise the young man and was surprised to see him quickly dropping into a crouch again, his face red with embarrassment. Chuck swallowed his rebuke and turned to look where the boy had pointed. Something was definitely moving their way.

Emerging from the darkness was a large reptilian figure, moving on four legs, its scaly head swinging from side to side, as if searching for something. The creature would pause every third or fourth step to lift its snout and sniff the air with large nostrils, then slash the air with its large tail, revealing a row of triangular shaped scales running the length of its body.

Chuck blinked several times rapidly and then rubbed his eyes and looked again.

"By the blood of the Luzine, I've read about such creatures," Myst whispered loudly enough for all to hear, "but I thought dinosaurs were extinct?"

"Dinosaur!" Mismatch laughed aloud. "You think that's a dinosaur?"

Chuck reached to shush Mismatch as Myst leaned toward him and screeched, "What else? I've seen tri-D's of dinosaurs and they..."

The two youngsters were shocked into silence as the great beast raised its head in their direction and jetted flame, narrowly missing the quartet.

Chuck had pulled the stunned Myst to the left and he rolled to his feet, "Back to the lift, now! We're not ready for..."

"ODIN"S BEARD," screamed Ragnarok, leaping to his feet. "That is no dinosaur, that is a dragon! By my ancestor's bones, stand thee back and watch an Asgardian warrior fight"

"Josiah, no," Chuck yelled as the youngster drew back and threw his mace, then leaped toward the dragon.

"I'll protect him, Mr. Taine," Myst stood and a thick fog began to flow from her outstretched hands.

"No, Myst," Chuck quickly found himself losing control of the situation. "Myst, can you dissipate the fog? We need to be able to see."

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Taine," the young girl seemed on the verge of tears, "I'll make it go away." After a few moments, Myst, cried out in dismay, "It's not working, I can't make it go away, it's not working, Mr Taine."

Hearing the panic in her voice, Chuck grasped Mismatch by the upper arm and spun the boy to face him. "Mismatch, take Myst back to the lift."

"But..."

"NO buts," Chuck ordered. "I'll get Ragnarok and we'll regroup downstairs. I'll try to contact the other teams." He shoved the youngsters toward the lift, or where he thought the lift should be, the fog was getting thicker and making navigation difficult.

The roar of the dragon and the occasional jetting of flame served to guide Chuck in his search for Ragnarok. He sensed rather than saw movement to his left and moved that direction in a crouching run. Through the thick fog, he could just make out the shape of the large reptile, much closer than he felt comfortable about. Suddenly Mark tripped and stumbled several steps forward. The noise of a barbell rolling across the floor, alerted the dragon of his whereabouts and the large head turned its open mouth toward, smoke pouring forth to mix with the fog. Time to bounce, thought Chuck. However, before he could suit thoughts to action, he heard a young voice cry out, through the fog.

"Thou art mine, vile serpent!"

Chuck started to turn toward the voice when something large and heavy slammed into his side, knocking him to the ground, very little breath left in his lungs. Through tear-filled eyes, he saw the war mace of Ragnarok rolling slowly away, and as he tried to rise, he felt the broken ends of his ribs grind together. Raising his ring, he spoke as clearly as the pain would let him. "All teams, return to the assembly area, I say again," he coughed painfully and spit out a mouthful of blood. "All teams, return to the..."

Chuck Taine, Academy headmaster and former Legionnaire, slowly slid into unconsciousness.

Chapter Five

Deviant ran to the fallen Dragonfly and knelt by the moaning youth. She noticed immediately that his normally green hued scales were an angry shade of red. "Something's wrong here," she whispered to herself, and reached out to touch Dragonfly.

"Deviant, help me!"

Snare's scream brought Deviant out of her reverie. She spun to find Snare trying desperately to drag an unconscious NightOwl, using only one hand, the other hanging uselessly at her side.

Deviant moved quickly to her side. "What happened to you?" she asked as she helped to pull NightOwl into the hallway. The two girls rolled the unconscious girl onto her back, blood trickled from her mouth.

"I don't know, Deviant." Tears poured freely from the girl's eyes. "I guess the snake thing got me somehow, my arm just got freezing cold and now I can't use it at all."

"Grife, Jilliane." Deviant ran her hand along the girls useless arm. "I didn't me..."

The voice of Chuck Taine suddenly blurted into the air, "All teams, return to the assembly area, I say again," Chuck could be heard coughing, "All teams, return to the..."

Deviant and Snare stared at the rings they both wore then, as one, they scurried to their downed comrades. Between the two of them they were just able to lift NightOwl and carry her into the lift, being careful not to jar her more than was necessary, given their haste and Snare's inability to use one arm. Then they moved to stand above the unconscious Dragonfly.

"Willow," Snare's voice had a desperate quality, "there is no way we can lift him. He's too heavy." She glanced down the dim hallway in the direction the snake had disappeared. "What do we do?"

"Leave him," Deviant stated strongly and turned and headed for the lift.

"We can't do that," Snare's voice grew stronger as she realized that Deviant intended to do just that. "We're teammates, we can't just abandon him."

Deviant returned to stand beside Snare, staring coldly at the young girl. "Why not? We just met him, he doesn't mean anything to me. Nobody ever..."

"We just can't," interrupted the Musjidian girl. "We have to work together, as a team. We HAVE to." The desperate pleading tone returned to her voice and she glanced down the hallway every few seconds.

"Oh, all right." Deviant gave in. "Let's try to roll him over, maybe we can drag him."

The two girls rolled the unconscious Dragonfly onto his back. Deviant noticed, but didn't mention, that Snare was beginning to use her left arm, just a little. Once he was stretched out on his back, Dragonfly's eyes fluttered, then opened and he groaned loudly.

"Shhh!" Snare waved her hands nervously, again looking down the dark hallway.

As Dragonfly began to push himself into a seated position, Deviant was again surprised to see the lack of damage he had sustained.

"Something is not right, guys," she told Dragonfly and Snare, "the saliva of the Acid Snake is very strong. You," she gestured to Dragonfly's exposed skin, "should be burned badly."

Dragonfly examined his own flesh with eyes and fingers, then shrugged. "Maybe the Acid Snake never tried to eat Tsauran flesh before."

Any answer Deviant wanted to make was forestalled by the sound of a loud crashing from down the hallway, a crashing that sent the three youngsters scurrying into the lift. Not one, of the three breathed again until the doors had closed and the button keyed to take them down.

"Kaleidoscope, what happened," screamed Hardshell. "Where is Mrs. Taine?"

The hysterical girl tried her best to halt her crying and answer, "She's...I mean, it grab...I didn't mean..." She began to blubber incoherently, as she collapsed to her knees on the edge of the pool.

Hardshell grasped the girl under her arms and bodily dragged her away from the pool's edge. "Do you mean, Mrs. Taine got caught by the creature?" At Kaleidoscope's nod, he quickly began to pull the breathing mask over his face.

"All teams, return to the assembly area, I say again," Chuck's voice sounded loud in the quiet pool room, "All teams, return to the..."

Hardshell approached the dark water, the mask securely attached to his face. He looked hard into the murky depths, searching for signs of a struggle going on beneath the surface. Searching for signs of life. The dark waters remained as impenetrable as inertron.

"Hardshell, no!" Kaleidoscope's voice brought him up short, and he turned to look at her. "That was Mr. Taine. He said to go back."

"Not without his wife," Hardshell asserted. "You head on back, I'll rescue Mrs. Taine and join you."

"No, Hardshell, no." Kaleidoscope stood and moved toward the determined boy, who had tears running down his face. "Mrs. Taine is gone." She reached his side and slipped her arm around his shoulders. "Be a leader, Royston, we can't help her, but the others may need us."

"No, Rhys," Hardshell was crying openly now, "I can't go back. I...we... lost Labyrinth and Mrs. Taine. I was useless, I shouldn't even be here. I'm not hero material."

"None of us are," Kaleidoscope began to try and lead him away from the pool toward the door. "That's why the Academy is here, to teach us how."

"But..."

With a great splash of water, two huge tentacles broke the surface of the pool and began to reach for the two young heroes. Without thinking, Royston Elihu, AKA Hardshell, reached out and formed a turtle shell shield. He then used the shield to smash the two tentacles hard against the tile walls of the pool room. Hardshell and Kaleidoscope stared with open mouths as the tentacles hastily withdrew into the pool, leaving behind only a green stain upon the wall.

Hardshell turned and stared wide eyed at his female companion. "I...I never did that before," he gushed. "My powers have always been more...defensive. That was pretty cool."

Kaleidoscope smiled briefly, then reached out to grasp his arm and lead him toward the lift. "So you see. You are..."

"Learning." Hardshell finished for her, then abruptly stopped. "How do we tell Mr. Taine?"

"We'll do it as teammates should," Kaleidoscope told him as she pulled him into the elevator and keyed the button to raise the lift to the upper floor, "together."

Ragnarok charged through the pea soup fog trying to find and close with the dragon, Several times he thought he had it, only to find the creature not where he was sure it had been. Running through the darkness in fog, he tripped over a form on the floor and the groans told him it was human. Picking himself up, he found himself towering over the unconscious body of Chuck Taine.

"Odin's beard," the young lad exclaimed, "the vile beast has struck thou down in cold blood." Ragnarok rolled Chuck onto his back, eliciting more groans, then stepped back and prepare to lift the injured headmaster. As he shifted his feet to a wider stance, his foot fell on an object which rolled out from under him causing him to stumble. Reaching down his hand closed on the handle of his war mace. His face twisted in horror as the realization came full upon him.

"Grife, Mr. Taine, I didn't mean to, ...I mean, I was trying to..." All semblance of his ritualized speech had left the boy, he was reduced to just another frightened child. Tears began to roll down his face. "By the Gods, Mr. Taine, it was an accident, honest. Please get up."

The fog, which had seem impenetrable, suddenly began thinning and dissipating. Ragnarok spun in a defensive stance, looking around the dim gym in search of his foe. The dragon was gone.

"Ragnarok!"

The voice startled young Josiah Grim into a small scream. He turned, red-faced, to find Mismatch and Myst sprinting across the room toward him. He quickly knelt beside Chuck.

"Ragnarok," Myst arrived and knelt also, "what happened to the dragon?"

"It just disappeared," put in Mismatch, "I mean, one minute it was here, spitting fire, the next it was gone."

Looking up at the smaller boy, Ragnarok sneered, "It couldn't just disappear. It had to go somewhere and hide. Nobody could see, it could have gone anywhere." He turned on Myst, "What was with the fog, Myst? Mr. Taine told you to stop it, why didn't you?"

"I tried, really I did," the girl was close to tears, "it wouldn't go away, I tried really hard. Then when the dragon left, I could make it go away."

"Hey," Mismatch blurted, "what happened to Mr. Taine?"

Ragnarok blushed again, and turned his face away from his companions. "Ummmmm, I guess he ran into the dragon."

"No way." Myst stood up and pointed across the room. "From where the fire was, the dragon never came over here." She glanced down just as Ragnarok snatched his mace from the floor. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at the mace, then Ragnarok's face, and she realized what must have happened.

Ragnarok turned to face Myst and Mismatch, his embarrassment giving way to anger. "Don't even think it," he threatened.

"Grife, Ragnarok," Myst half whispered, "what have you done?"

"Nothing, I tell you," Ragnarok advanced on the girl. "I didn't do anything. Maybe he fell."

Myst backed away from the angry boy in fear. Mismatch stepped between she and Ragnarok. "And maybe you can't control that mace. How badly is he hurt?"

"Maybe you should shut your mouth, runt." Ragnarok shoved Mismatch in the chest, forcing the smaller boy backward a few steps. "Before I shut you up permanently."

The smaller Mismatch immediately fell into a fighter's crouch, eyes half closed, observing Ragnarok's every move.

Ragnarok laughed a cruel laugh and advanced on Mismatch. "You don't want any of this, little boy." He reached out to grasp the front of the smaller boy's uniform.

"Guys, don't," Myst cried.

Ragnarok suddenly found himself flying through the air, courtesy of a perfect judo toss. He slammed onto the ground and rolled to his knees, unhurt, but furious.

Mismatch took three quick steps and kicked Ragnarok in the face. The force and accuracy of the blow were designed to break the opponent's nose, however in this case they only served to further infuriate Ragnarok.

Ragnarok came roaring to his feet, and charged across the room toward the retreating Mismatch, swinging his mace high over his head.

Mismatch timed his rush, then leaped into the air and executed a roundhouse kick, striking Ragnarok in the wrist, causing the huge mace to go flying harmlessly away.

"I don't need that to teach you a lesson," Ragnarok growled as he closed with his opponent.

For the next several minutes, Ragnarok's frustration level was increased as Mismatch landed blow after blow, using hands, knees, elbows and feet. Ragnarok's angry roar was a constant now as he failed to land even a single blow on his smaller, quicker, opponent. The two combatants suddenly found themselves surrounded by a thick fog, as Myst joined the fray in an attempt to stop the fighting. Ragnarok was quickly tiring and the thick fog aided Mismatch in landing even more blows. The three youngsters had forgotten all about the dragon, and their mission, when suddenly they were jolted back by a loud voice.

"STUDENTS, STOP THIS NOW."

Shocked by the voice, Ragnarok, Mismatch, and Myst stopped fighting and turned to find Chuck on his feet, if only barely. Chuck stood, leaning on a vaulting horse, one arm clamped to his injured ribs, a trickle of blood running from his mouth, down his chin.

Ragnarok leaned over, hands on his knees, ragged breaths being drawn in through his open mouth, as Myst and Mismatch ran to support Chuck. He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly from side to side. The runt was actually beating me, he thought, I was going to lose.

Chuck accepted the support of the two youngsters, and grimaced in pain as he tried to straighten up. He glared at Ragnarok for a long minute, then coughed, spit blood again, and spoke in a quiet voice, but one that was solid steel.

"If I could," he began, "I would send you home this instant. I don't think we have ever dismissed a student before," he was interrupted by another fit of painful coughing, "but, you. You have no business here." He swung his head to look at Mismatch. "And you would be going with him. I'm giving Myst the benefit of the doubt. I believe she was only trying to stop the two of you." Chuck's head dropped and he drew several breaths, the last of which was more a groan than a breath, then raised his eyes again. "Help me to the lift, we have to rethink our plans. I just pray that the other teams were more successful than we."

Slowly, painfully, the injured former Legionnaire moved into the lift with his young charges, and began the ride down two floors to the assembly area.

Chapter Six

It was a bedraggled group of would-be teen-aged heroes that greeted Chuck's own beaten group as they limped off the lift. Chuck was being supported on one side by Mismatch, and on the other by Ragnarok. The two boys were exchanging looks of pure hatred whenever they thought Chuck wasn't looking. Each step he took caused a searing pain to shoot through Chuck's entire left side. With each pain wracked step, Chuck came closer and closer to screaming out his pain and frustration, his eyes seethed with the pent-up anger he was carrying.

Lined up across the hallway were the rest of the students. Chuck realized that not one would meet his gaze.

"Oli's moons," NightOwl whispered to Snare, loudly enough for Chuck to hear, "what happened to him?"

"I don't know," came the reply, "but Mismatch and that Rag-something kid seem to be ticked off."

Chuck catalogued each student out of habit. He noticed the trail of dried blood trailing down from NightOwl's mouth, and the way Snare was massaging her left arm, as if it were asleep. Hardshell stood as far in the back as he could, and was looking anywhere but at Chuck. Deviant sat halfway up the wall, staring unconcernedly at her fingernails, and Kaleidoscope blushed a deep red and stared at her feet. Dragonfly stood leaning against the wall, rubbing his hands up and down his arms, and Labyrinth... Labyrinth?

Chuck stood a little straighter, which elicited a moan that was louder than he wished. "Where is Labyrinth?" he barked gruffly. He searched out Hardshell, who still would not meet his gaze.

"I...ummmm she...I mean, there was something," the young man was looking everywhere but at Chuck, "in the pool, I mean, something in the pool. Labyrinth got too close and..." he trailed off into silence, looking at his shoes.

"AND WHAT?!" screamed Chuck. "Tell me, we don't have time for you to stumble around. Where is Labyrinth?"

Tears poured freely down Hardshell's cheeks as he finally raised his eyes to meet Chuck's. "She's gone, Mr. Taine. It got her."

Chuck stared, unable to speak, for a long few seconds, then pushed away from his supporters and slowly, painfully, pushed through the crowd of students. The humbled students trailed after Chuck as he made his way slowly, but steadily toward the assembly room.

Three steps into the journey, Hardshell realized where Mr. Taine was headed, and who he expected to find. Royston pushed his way to the front of the students and called, "Ummm, Mr. Taine, there's something I need to tell you."

Chuck absently waved his hand toward the young man, "Later, Hardshell, I need to speak to Luornu." Chuck pushed through the assembly room door, as Hardshell rushed to him and tried to catch his arm.

"Mr. Taine, wait..."

"LU!" The agonized cry was followed by an equally agonized cry of pain, as Chuck tried to rush to the side of his wife, and stumbled and fell.

Hardshell burst through the door and immediately saw Chuck crumpled on the floor, one hand outstretched toward the computer console, where his wife could be found. Hardshell followed the pointing hand and was horrified to see Luornu lying on the floor, eyes closed. Hardshell stood looking from Chuck to Luornu in confusion as Snare and Nightowl led the rest of the students in a stampede through the door.

"Grife," Snare moved to kneel beside the groaning Chuck, as NightOwl and Kaleidoscope ran to check on Luornu.

Ragnarok turned on Hardshell. "Hey, what did you let happen to her," pointing at the unconscious Luornu. "Odin's blood, I knew I should have been with her group."

"WELL, WELL, WELL," Rromralov's voice barked through the intercom, causing all in the room to jump, "I SEE YOU DIDN'T LISTEN, AND AS A RESULT YOU'VE MET SOME OF MY PETS. LISTEN TO REASON, CHUCK TAINE, YOU CANNOT WIN. SURRENDER."

"Nass, will someone turn that thing off." NightOwl stood and gazed toward the computer console. "That's the last thing we need to hear."

"Maybe he's right," Deviant spoke calmly from where she was clinging to the ceiling.

All eyes turned upon the green skinned girl. "Are you crazy?" asked NightOwl.

Deviant crawled across the ceiling and down the wall until she stood facing the other students. "Not at all," she remarked matter-of-factly, "they are out of commission," she indicated Chuck and Luornu, "we're just kids, we can't handle this. Let's give up." She looked from face to face, then shrugged. "This Rromralav doesn't have anything against us."

Kaleidoscope was the first to find her voice. "We came here this weekend to learn if we had the stuff to be heroes, Legionnaires. I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to give up."

Hardshell looked defiantly at Deviant and growled, "To say nothing of Mr. And Mrs. Taine." He pointed at the intercom speaker. "That guy wants to kill them."

The intercom blared back to life at that moment. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, LEGIONNAIRE? AFRAID TO ANSWER ME? YOU NOW HAVE ONE HOUR UNTIL I UNLEASH MY PETS AND LET THEM HUNT YOU DOWN. ONE HOUR, TAINE."

In the silence that followed, the students looked from face to face, each searching themselves for the right thing to do. Finally, Deviant shrugged again. "OK, it was just and idea. I didn't ask to be here, but I'm with you guys."

"So what do we do now?" Snare asked the still air.

Myst straightened her back and stepped forward, placing herself in a position to face the rest of the group. "First, who knows anything about computers?"

"I do," spoke a quiet voice from the doorway, causing the assembled students to gasp and turn, many assuming defensive positions.

"Labyrinth!" The students rushed their young teammate all trying to talk at once.

"Where have you been?"

"How did you escape the creature?"

"Hardshell said the creature got you."

As soon as she was able to be heard, Labyrinth filled in her teammates, "As soon as the creature pulled me into the pool, I teleported. The only place I knew well enough port to was my room here. When I heard all the ruckus I guessed that you guys were back, so here I am. What happened to the Taines?" she asked.

"The creature got Mrs. Taine, too," Kaleidoscope told her, "I guess the shock of losing her other self knocked her out, cause she still breathing."

"Did a monster hurt Mr. Taine?" asked Dragonfly, looking toward Ragnarok.

Before the young man could answer, Mismatch spoke up, "No, Ragnarok hit him with that big mace. He screwed up and nearly killed Mr. Taine." The hatred in his eyes leaped across the room.

The stocky youngster started across the room with a snarl. "I've had about enough from you."

Dragonfly blocked his path, and then was joined by NightOwl. Between the two of them they were just able to hold back the snarling Ragnarok, who howled his rage anew at being stopped by the two least human looking of the youngsters. Kaleidoscope then stepped in front of Ragnarok and raised her left hand, exposing the amber gem embedded in her palm. She activated her power and for Ragnarok, the world turned upside down. As he lay on the ground, emptying his stomach, Dragonfly took his mace from his slack hand and placed it out of reach.

NightOwl turned from Ragnarok and looked with narrowed eyes at the small assemblage of teens. "Anyone else want to cause trouble?" She looked from face to face. "Good." She looked again at the Taines then turned back to her teammates, "Labyrinth, get on that computer. See if you can locate this Rromralav. Dragonfly, Hardshell, go to your rooms and bring your mattresses here." At their quizzical looks, she barked, "We need to make the Taines as comfortable as possible." The two boys nodded and quickly left the room.

"Ummmmm, NightOwl?"

Che' turned to face the speaker, Snare.

"I think I remember seeing, in the Academy brochure, that each floor has a first aid kit." The young girl blushed at the looks from the others.

"Good thinking, Snare," NightOwl told her, "see if you can find it."

As Snare left the room, NightOwl turned to what was left of the students. She slowly let her gaze sweep over each one, forcing them to meet her eyes.

"We have less than one hour, guys, one hour to find out if we have what it takes. The Taines are out of the picture for now. We have to rely on US." She paused and let each one think about her words. She watched as Ragnarok pushed himself back to his feet. "Anyone who is not willing to cooperate, can leave now, and take their chances alone." She caught Ragnarok's eye, and held her gaze until he nodded slightly and dropped his head.

Dragonfly and Hardshell pushed through the door, dragging mattresses, followed by Snare with a portable first aid kit. The next few minutes were spent making the Taines comfortable, and applying what little first aid the kids could remember. NightOwl spent the time pushing tables together to form one large table and arranging chairs around it.

"Sit down everyone," she announced loudly. "We have plans to make."

Mismatch slammed his hands down hard on the table top, eyes bulging, nostrils flared in anger. "The first thing we need to plan is how to keep that walking disaster area, "he pointed at Ragnarok, "out of the way."

Ragnarok was instantly on his feet. "Little man," he snarled at Mismatch, "when this is over, you and me got unfinished business."

"Anytime, anywhere," barked back the smaller youth.

NightOwl rose to her feet slowly, hands placed evenly spaced on the table, her head bowed. Snare, seated next to her, could see her entire body trembling in an attempt to control her temper. When she spoke, it was in a even, steady voice that was in contrast to her small stature and youth. "Mismatch. Ragnarok." She paused until she had some of their attention anyway, shaking her head as they continued to glare at one another. "If you continue to fight each other, we have no chance of defeating this Rromralav. We must, I repeat, MUST, work together. Please?"

Mismatch slowly sank back into his chair. "All right, but once this is over..." He left the words hanging.

Ragnarok remained standing, but some of the anger had left his face. "Anyway, why are you picking on me? Ok, so I accidentally hurt Mr. Taine, it was an accident, ya know." He looked from face to face, not finding any sympathy anywhere. "What about him," he blurted, pointing at Hardshell. "He lost Mrs. Taine and Labyrinth, and nobody blames him."

Hardshell blushed deeply, his eyes starting to water. He dropped his head, as the entire table began to speak at once. Arguments broke out as to who was to blame for what.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" NightOwl's voice startled everyone at the table into silence. "Ok, we have one chance, and probably only one chance to do the right thing. I need to know, who's in?" She waited until she had each face looking her way. "Dragonfly?"

The large reptilian boy nodded. "I'm in."

"Snare?"

"Count me in, I want another shot at that Acid Snake."

"Kaleidoscope?"

The young girl hesitated, then nodded.

"Hardshell?"

"In."

"Deviant?"

The green skinned girl looked at each face before answering, "I think you guys are nuts, but I'll do my part."

NightOwl returned her nod. "Good enough. Labyrinth?"

~yes~

"Myst?"

Myst grinned and slapped Labyrinth on the back. "Let's kick some ass."

NightOwl turned to the right end of the table, where Mismatch sat slumped in his chair, his eyes still smoldering. "Mismatch?"

For a long moment, the young lad didn't answer. He turned his face toward NightOwl. "OK, but not with him."

NightOwl caught his eyes and looked him square in the face. "No qualifications, Manny. In is in."

Mismatch frowned and again looked toward Ragnarok, who refused to raise his face and meet the smaller boy's gaze. Finally, Mismatch answered, "I'm in."

NightOwl took several deep breaths to calm herself, fearing the worst was yet to come. She turned to face the left end of the table, and Ragnarok. "Ragnarok?"

The next leader of the Temple of Asgard did not even raise his face. "What."

"Are you in, Ragnarok?"

For a long moment, nobody spoke. Ragnarok sat head down, face in shadows, then his shoulders began to shake. He sat, shaking, trying to control himself, still not answering.

Dragonfly rose from his chair, at a glance from NightOwl and moved toward Ragnarok, ready for trouble should the boy not be able to control his temper.

Ragnarok sighed deeply, and finally raised his face. The children around the table were shock to see tears had been pouring down his face. The two trails of liquid ran down from his eyes to drip onto the front of his uniform. "Why?" he cried out, "no one wants me." The anguish was clear in his voice, but not one of his teammates moved to comfort him. He wiped his tears with the sleeve of his uniform, sniffled, and continued, "You guys will be better off without me."

Without moving toward him, NightOwl spoke calmly and soothingly. "Rags, we do need you. You may well be the strongest of us. We ALL have to work together."

Ragnarok slowly looked from face to face. He received several small nods and a big grin from Labyrinth. Only Mismaatch refused to meet his gaze.

"Ok, I guess I'm in."

NightOwl sighed in relief, a relief that was short lived.

"So what do we do now," asked Snare, looking expectantly at NightOwl's bird-like features. "The creatures kind of have us surrounded."

NightOwl rubbed her hands together nervously, swallowed the huge lump in her throat and began to plan. "The way I see it, our best chance is if we can get all the monsters together in one place. That way-"

"Are you crazy?" burst out Kaleidoscope, "we almost got killed taking them one at a time."

"Rhys is right," chimed in Snare, "to get them together would be suicide."

"Listen to me," pled NightOwl, "If they are together...WE are together. Safety and strength in numbers."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea," put in Hardshell, "I know I'd feel better with some muscle at my back."

As the rest of the youngsters debated the pros and cons of attacking en mass, NightOwl pulled Labyrinth to the side. "See if you can make the computer work. We need to find out where they are."

Labyrinth nodded. ~ok, i'll see what i can do.~

NightOwl stood back and listened to the kids arguing, then finally she cleared her throat and raised her voice. "Guys, we need to make a decision, and soon. The hour is almost up."

As the members of the little group turned to look at the digital readout on the wall, NightOwl heard Labyrinth's voice in her head, ~che', check this out.~

She moved to the computer console and looked at the viewscreen. "Hey, everybody, it..."

"YOUR HOUR IS UP, TAINE. SURRENDER YOURSELF TO ME. MY PETS AND I AWAIT YOU IN THE GYM."

Chapter Eight

NightOwl, like every other teenager in the room, stared, mouth hanging open, at the intercom. Then she glanced again at the computer screen. "That confirms what Labyrinth was showing me," she informed her teammates, "all of the creatures have moved to the gymnasium area." She paused and looked intently at the screen, "I read six life forms, only one of which appears to be humanoid. That must be Rromralav."

"Ok, NightOwl," Hardshell spoke before anyone else, "what do we do now?"

NightOwl shook her head and then met Hardshell's gaze, before sweeping her eyes across each face in the room. "I don't think we have any choice. The Taines can't protect themselves, we have to do it. The question is how?"

Dragonfly rose to his full height, then flexed his wings as much as he could in the tight confines of the meeting room. "I say we take the fight to him, this Rromralav. At least in the gym we have the ability to spread out, and those of us who can fly," he paused and looked at his Legion ring, "well, I guess we can all fly with these, but those with experience flying, will have room to maneuver."

"Dragonfly's right," agreed NightOwl, "we have to keep the creatures and Rromralav away from the Taines. We take the fight to the gym." She started to move away from the computer screen, then paused and looked intently at the readout. "What are these flickers, Labyrinth?" NightOwl pointed to the corner of the screen. "There appears to be three more life signs, but they are flickering in and out."

Labyrinth frowned and stared at the flickers. ~i am not sure, nightowl. let me see if i can enhance the readings.~ She reached out and swiftly keyed in a command.

"HEY!" Nightowl yelled and reached for the keyboard, "What happened, the screen went blank?"

~i do not know.~ Labyrinth frowned again and hit several more keys. ~it appears that the computers are jammed again. i do not know if i can break the locks.~ She looked up an NightOwl and shrugged.

"Well that's just great," bellowed Ragnarok, "now what do we do?"

NightOwl stepped away from the computer console and stared at Ragnarok. "We follow the plan. We move to the gym, and try to defeat the creatures and Rromralav."

Kaleidoscope started to raise her hand, hesitated, looked around the room at the others, and then completed raising her hand.

"Yes, Kaleidoscope," NightOwl smiled to encourage the shy girl, "you have something to add."

Kaleidoscope blushed, started to shake her head negatively, then nodded instead and spoke in a soft voice, "Yes. I...well I think that if we stopped Rromralav... that...ummmmmm, well maybe the creatures would...errrrr, you know, ummm, stop, too." Having said her piece, she blushed again and dropped her head.

"That's a good thought," NightOwl spoke excitedly, "he probably does control the creatures."

"Yeah," Dragonfly added, "but if we took him out, we might be facing wild creatures, rather than controlled ones. Is that better?"

"I think so," Deviant answered before anyone else. "At least they would not be trying to kill us deliberately."

NightOwl nodded her agreement. "You're right, Deviant. So here's the plan. We take on the creatures and try to make an opening to Rromralav. If we can, then..." she looked around the room from face to face, "Ragnarok, you are probably our strongest, if we can get an opening, you try to take out Rromralav."

"Got it," the excited young boy answered.

A loud groan from Chuck burst the good feelings. The team turned as one to face the mattresses where the Taines lay.

"What about the Taines," asked Snare, "do we just leave them here alone?"

Nightowl moved to check on the Taines, finding them still unconscious and unresponsive. She stood. "That's probably not a good idea, but we're going to need everyone to face the creatures." Her eyes searched each face in the room. "Labyrinth," she finally announced, "your powers are not really an offensive type. You stay here and watch over the Taines. Also keep trying to get the computer working."

~ok.~

"The rest of us better get up to the gym before Rromralav gets anxious and sends his "pets" to find us." NightOwl led the way to the door.

Snare and Kaleidoscope took time to go by Labyrinth and pat her on the shoulder. Ragnarok stood up, looked around and asked, "Where is my mace?"

Mismatch stood also and lifted the heavy mace, with a grunt, from where it had rested beside his chair. He handed it to Ragnarok with narrowed eyes. "Just be careful who you hit with that thing."

"I said it was an accident," asserted Ragnarok hotly.

"Well, let's not have any more "accidents", ok?"

Ragnarok started to answer, then just nodded as NightOwl stuck her head back in the room. "You guys coming?"

Ragnarok and Mismatch stood for a second, faced off against one another, then Mismatch gestured to the door, and followed Ragnarok as the two boys joined the others in the hallway.

Moving into the lift, Nightowl outlined the team's strategy, "First we need to try and identify the creatures we're facing. Deviant has already identified one."

"We were facing an Acid Snake found on Darzy 1," the green skinned girl put in, "extremely fast and dangerous. Its saliva is a very corrosive acid."

"Thanks, Deviant. Now if we can identify the rest, maybe we can figure out how to beat them." NightOwl paused and studied her teammates. "We go in, Dragonfly and Ragnarok in the lead. Hardshell you'll be right behind them. Then Deviant, Kaleidoscope and I will fan out and take to the high ground for a better look. Mismatch, Snare and Myst, you guys bring up the rear. Everybody be ready for anything."

The teens shifted into position as much as they were able in the crowded lift. Dragonfly and Ragnarok moved to stand, shoulder to shoulder, in front of the doors. The two boys turned to look at one another briefly. Dragonfly grinned and nodded to the shorter Ragnarok, whose eyes widened before he returned the nod, and the grin.

The doors to the lift had just started opening when Dragonfly lifted his head and began to roar. The rest of the team was startled by the throaty sound issuing from the reptilian boy, then, with a grin on his face, Ragnarok answered the roar with an inarticulate viking war cry from days long past. The two boys burst, side by side, from the lift, daring anyone or anything to stand in their way.

After a moment's hesitation, NightOwl regained her voice. She pointed out the door and shouted, "Move everyone!"

As one, the remaining members of the team poured out of the lift. Kaleidoscope swept up in the air to the left, while Deviant ran up the wall to the right of the door, each gaining altitude for a better look.

NightOwl used her flight ring to lift herself off the ground, then spread her arms to find the air currents and began to glide forward.

Hardshell sprinted out of the lift and hurried to a position just behind the charging Dragonfly and Ragnarok.

Myst, Mismatch, and Snare spread out as soon as they cleared the lift and began to move forward slowly.

Across the gym, a voice rang out in laughter, and five large, non-humanoid shapes began to cross the large open area toward the advancing teens.

Back in the assembly room, Labyrinth had moved to stand in the doorway and watch her teammates move into the lift. Once she was certain they were gone, she turned back into the room and moved quickly to the computer console. She placed her hand, palm down, over a recessed identi-plate, and once the plate registered her identity, a small hidden drawer slid open. Reaching inside, she removed a syringe filled with a milky white fluid and approached the injured Taines. Kneeling beside Chuck, she located a vein in his arm and injected the contents of the syringe. She then sat back and waited.

Momentarily, Chuck groaned and opened his eyes. For a second, his eyes did not focus on anything, then he blinked several times and centered his gaze on Labyrinth. His eyes widened and he quickly tried to sit up, and just as quickly realized what a mistake that was. With a groan he fell back on the mattress, his hands going to his injured side.

~Several broken ribs, if my guess is correct.~ Labyrinth informed him. ~Perhaps a collapsed lung also. Nothing a few hours in the autodoc won't fix.~

Chuck groaned again and sat up, much slower and with many grimaces and groans. "Don't have time, right now." He turned his head to view his unconscious wife. "Luornu...is she?" He was afraid to finish the thought.

~Her life signs remain strong. I have not tried to revive her.~

"Do it now." Chuck struggled to roll over to his hands and knees and began the slow torturous process of rising.v Labyrinth nodded, and then moved back to the computer console to remove a second, identical looking syringe. Moving to Luornu's side she again injected the milky substance.

The results were almost instantaneous. Luornu's eyes popped open and immediately closed again as she let forth a groan to match Chuck's best. She slowly opened her eyes again. "Chuck, darling, remind me never to try merging from that distance again." She raised her hand to press against her temples. "My head feels like it's going to split." She sat up slowly, then realized she was on a mattress on the floor of the assembly room. Shaking her head, she looked around the room. "I guess the shock of the merge knocked me out." Then she noticed Chuck, struggling to stand. "Oh my God, Chuck, you're injured." She leaped to her feet and rushed to his side, helping him to stand.

Chuck grinned a lopsided grin, and told her, "Thanks for the news flash, love, and here I was under the impression that I just slept wrong."

Luornu reacted to Chuck's attempt at humor by slapping him on the back, which caused his knees to buckle and another moan to escape his lips. "Grife, Chuck, I'm sorry," Luornu quickly apologized. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing that can't be fixed, Lu." Chuck hugged her with one arm. "Right now, we need to check on the kids."

"You are in no condition to be traipsing around, Chuck," Luornu asserted, "you are going straight to the autodoc."

"Can't right now, Lu," Chuck tried to stand a little straighter, without groaning again. "The kids are headed for the gym, it's almost over."

Luornu Durgo Taine frowned in displeasure as she viewed her husband, then moved quickly to the open first aid kit left by the kids. "All right, Chuck," she rummaged around in the kit and withdrew a small device. "Lucky for you, Brainy sent a few of these over last week." She moved to her husband's side, unfolding the device until it was twice it's original size with long straps hanging down. "Brainy claims it's a personal autodoc, or something like that. It's supposed to be a temporary remedy, but it should help some." She strapped the device under Chuck's arm, tight to his injured ribs, which elicited yet another groan. When she switched the device on, Chuck sighed softly as he experienced a lessening of the pain.

"Thanks, Lu," Chuck kissed her lips warmly. "I'm glad one of us takes the time to read all the messages Brainy sends out each week." He then turned to Labyrinth. "Let's get to the observation deck."

Chapter Nine

Ragnarok matched strides with Dragonfly, with Hardshell a scant step behind, until the two boys came face to face with the dragon. As the large lizard opened it's mouth to flame, Dragonfly spread his wings and went airborne along the dragon's right side, while Ragnarok leaped into the air and peeled off to the left, leaving Hardshell alone in the dragon's path.

"That's a Grykkian firelizard," Hardshell called out as he hastily erected a force field. He felt the heat of the lizard's flame as it was shunted harmlessly around him. He slowly began backing away from the beast, using his shield for protection.

Ragnarok, flying along the great lizard's left side, drew back his mace, aiming for the spot just behind the creature's shoulder. Before he could strike, a movement caught his eye and he turned his head to find himself looking into what he assumed was the face of another creature. He noted that the beast had a long thin neck and that its eyes were enormous compared to the rest of its head. As he watched, the creatures eyes began to cloud, and the cloud began to swirl, then there was a bright flash of light.

Swooping down the right side of the firelizard, Dragonfly caught a flash of light and turned his head in time top see Ragnarok drop from the sky like a rock. Dragonfly winced as Ragnarok struck the floor in a heap and lay still. Without thinking, Dragonfly altered his flight path and looped around to grab Ragnarok by the belt. With a grunt of effort, he lifted the unconscious boy and flew back toward the lift.

Deviant ran along the wall of the gym toward the strangest creature she had ever seen, and that was saying a lot. The beast she was approaching appeared to be the ugliest parts of a giant frog melded with the business end of a octopus. Hopping along on its short, but powerful looking hind legs, eight tentacles waving in the air, the creature would have seemed funny looking, but for the mouth full of dagger-like teeth. The creature caught sight of Deviant with its small beady eyes and began hop-sliding toward her. Deviant's hands flared blackly and she threw a double set of dark knives which struck the creature mid torso. The huge creature shuddered, then struck, reaching for Deviant with two tentacles which seemed to expand and explode toward the girl. Narrowly dodging the seeking limbs, Deviant ran up the wall into the shadows near the roof and disappeared.

Kaleidoscope rolled and looped as she sailed, trying to get a better look at the creatures they faced. She spotted what she guessed must be the Acid Snake Deviant had mentioned, A huge red and gold serpent, with saliva dripping from its mouth to pool on the floor. The snake hardly seemed to notice as it slithered through the pools of acid it dropped. Rhys Clari was startled by the savage beauty of the snake and her momentary awe almost cost her dearly as she found herself suddenly encased in a sticky web-like substance. The web struck her in mid flight and propelled her into the wall where it stuck. She found herself hanging, helplessly pinned to the wall, her arms stuck to her sides. A chattering noise alerted her to the approach of the fifth creature, and she twisted her neck to observe a large spider-like creature approaching her on eight legs.

Kaleidoscope's scream alerted NightOwl to her predicament. The Bikolenian girl adjusted the angle of her glide and soared toward the trapped Kaleidoscope. "Snare, Mismatch, lend a hand," she called to her floorbound teammates, then swept up and over the huge spider beast in an attempt to distract it from its intended prey. She was successful in that endeavor and had to fold her wings to avoid the webbing the creature fired in her direction. Unfortunately, in doing so she tumbled to the floor, and found herself rolling and spinning out of control. She bumped to a stop and rolled to her knees. "Nass," she cried out as her left hand began to burn, and she lifted her head to find herself directly under the dripping jaws of the Acid Snake; the creature's saliva had dripped onto the back of her hand and the skin was beginning to redden as the burning sensation increased. The snake opened its jaws wide and struck. Only to find its prey gone as Kaleidoscope, travelling at near top speed, swept NightOwl from the very jaws of death and carried her back to the lift.

"Myst, give us some cover," NightOwl cried to the young girl, then lifted her voice again and called, "Everyone retreat and regroup."

As a thick fog began to pour from Myst's hands, Deviant appeared out of the shadows and dropped to the floor. Dragonfly landed carrying Ragnarok, who was beginning to shake his head, his cloudy eyes starting to clear. Hardshell backed into the area, and then dropped his force field, as Mismatch and Snare came running up laughing.

"I fail to see anything funny," snapped Dragonfly as the teens poured into the lift and the doors closed.

"That's cause you didn't see the Tangleweb caught in Snare's mind web," snickered Mismatch, "a taste of her own medicine if I ever saw one."

"Tangleweb?" NightOwl asked.

"Yeah," Mismatch stopped chuckling and faced her, "I recognized it right off. That spider-like creature comes from the planet Seeris, I saw a report on them at the Metropolis Museum. The get there name from their habit of catching prey in a web. They are serious carnivores."

"OK." NightOwl nodded, then looked around the small group. "Anyone know what the rest of them might be?"

Ragnarok struggled to his feet and shook his head. "What hit me? I was set to take the dragon out." His voice sounded as shaky as his legs were.

Dragonfly reached out to steady Ragnarok as he stumbled and informed him, "Skalarrian Hypno-Beast." Then he turned to NightOwl and continued, "The creature with the long neck and big eyes. They stun their prey into submission, then feed at their leisure. Meat eaters," he added.

NightOwl shook her head, a look of disgust on her face. "Nice set of pets this Rromralav has collected. An Acid Snake, a Hypno-Beast, a Firelizard, and a Tangleweb, all carnivores. Anybody care to bet the fifth one eats meat also." She looked around at the sea of faces. "Anybody get a look at the last one. What is it?"

For a moment, no one answered, then in a quiet voice Deviant spoke up. "It's called a Amphibiserpent. Equally at home on land or in the water. It looks like...well it looks like some mad scientist took a giant frog and a octopus and kinda crammed them together. It's ugly, angry and all appetite."

"Meat eater, right?" NightOwl asked, then at Deviant's nod, shook her head again. "Where would this nut find a creature like that?"

Deviant looked decidedly uncomfortable as the scrutiny of the group turned her way. She blushed, then spoke quickly and quietly, " I...uhhhh, well I mean...ummmmmm...I don't really know. I saw...I mean I HEARD of one on a place called Colfax, but I...well, I HEARD that it was made...uhh... created there." She ended in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Colfax," NightOwl repeated, "I've never heard of a planet by that name." She looked from face to face, "Anybody else?"

The rest of the group answered in a chorus of negative responses, then Myst spoke out. "Maybe this Rromralav comes from Colfax too."

NightOwl, who was facing the others, was the only one to notice how Deviant paled at that announcement. She wanted to probe deeper into the mysterious girl's past, but was interrupted by Ragnarok.

"Hey, gang," he spoke in a slightly stronger voice than before. "These lift doors won't hold those creatures back, if they decide to come in. Any ideas on how to beat those monsters?"

NightOwl shook her head, looking from face to face. "I'm not sure, guys. Maybe we are in over our heads."

"No!" shouted Ragnarok. "Come on, guys. We can do this. It's just a bunch of mindless beasts. If we work together," at these words he faltered, then blushed a deep red. "If we work together, we can take them. Come on guys."

The rest of the group looked at each other, then Myst started nodding, the rest soon joined in.

"All right," NightOwl agreed, "if we're gonna do this, we HAVE to work together." She looked from face to face, pausing the longest on Ragnarok, who blushed again and gave her a brief nod. "All right, so here's what we do..."

The door slid open as Chuck placed his hand over the identi-plate, revealing the gym observation room. Two woman were seated at the console, their attention given to the gym.

"How are the kids doing," Chuck asked as he led Luornu and Labyrinth into the room.

The platinum haired woman turned and grinned over her shoulder at Chuck. "They lost the first round," she informed him, "got taken by surprise a bit and retreated." She nodded to the dark haired woman next to her, "Zera says they are regrouping and will return soon."

Chuck nodded as he dropped into a nearby chair, trying to stifle the groan as much as possible. "They're a good lot, most of them." He shook his head slightly and rubbed his hand over his ribs. "What they lack in experience, they make up in heart."

"Are you and Lu doing all right?" the platinum blonde asked. "We didn't plan on this being so hard on you two."

"You pays your money and you takes your chances," Luornu replied as she knelt to check on the unconscious Labyrinth, "or so Chuck's fond of saying. Me, I'm not even sure what it means." She grinned at her husband who stuck out his tongue and grinned.

"It means," he told the three women, "that we can take it, accidents happen."

Labyrinth stepped into the room, and as the door closed, her form shimmered and shifted into that of a well-built Durlan male. "Sorry, Chuck. I almost blew it by speaking aloud when I entered the meeting room. Luckily no one noticed and Zera mentally corrected me, and supplied the needed telepathy."

"No harm done, Toog," Chuck smiled, then turned to face Luornu. "How's Glori, Lu?"

Luornu looked up from where she was kneeling beside Labyrinth, "She's doing fine. I just wish we hadn't had to sedate her."

Chuck frowned and nodded. "So do I, Lu, but she was sensing the wrongness of the situation. We couldn't take the chance of her precognitive powers revealing our little plan."

"I realize that, but I'm sure she will be disappointed." Luornu stood and moved to stand beside Chuck, bending to check the autodoc attached to his ribs.

"How's your headache, Lu?" Chuck asked concernedly.

"Don't try to distract me, Mr. Taine," his wife grinned knowingly, "you are injured much more severely than I am."

"Now, Lu..."

The dark haired woman at the console suddenly sat upright and announced, "Showtime, folks."

As the five adults in the observation booth moved to the edge of their seats, down below, the lift doors slid open and the teenagers poured back into the gym.

Chapter Ten

When the lift doors slid open, Ragnarok and Dragonfly again led the students into the gym. This time, though, they stopped a few steps into the room and waited for their companions. The remaining students came out two at a time, Hardshell and Mismatch, Snare and Kaleidoscope, Myst and Deviant. The last one out was NightOwl. The nine teens arranged themselves in a rough semi-circle facing across the gym.

The robed figure on the opposite side of the gym saw them enter, and spoke into a device in his hand. The intercom rattled with the force of his voice.

"YOU ARE NOT TAINE. I WANT CHUCK TAINE. DO NOT WASTE MY TIME, WITH CHILDREN, TAINE. YOU CANNOT HIDE BEHIND THEM NOR Your WIFE'S SKIRTS."

NightOwl stepped to a panel next to the lift doors and keyed a switch, she spoke and her voice too, was heard in the gym. "Rromralav, we are here to defeat you and your monsters. Chuck Taine will not face you this day. He will not lower himself to do what a child," she paused, "or children may do instead."

The sound of laughter filled the gym, then Rromralav spoke again. "BRAVE WORDS, CHILD. FOOLISH, YET BRAVE. TOO BAD THEY SHALL BE YOUR LAST. ATTACK, MY PETS!" He swept his arm forward and the five creatures began to rapidly advance across the gym.

The students stood their ground until the creatures were dangerously close, then all nine took to the air, those without natural flight powers utilizing the Legion flight rings.

The sudden flight of the teens seemed to momentarily disorient the creatures. Deviant took advantage of this fact to swoop close to the Tangleweb and fire her black knives into the creature, just behind the head carapace. The Tangleweb shuddered once, fired its webbing instinctively, then collapsed onto the floor and lay unmoving.

Bad luck continued to plague the young heroes as the webbing, fired involuntarily, stuck Mismatch across the legs as he flew and caused him to tumble in flight. Righting himself somewhat, Manny Fitzhugh landed to attempt to free himself from the sticky webbing. As he peeled the sticky mass from his legs, the Firelizard rumbled toward him and opened its mouth, jetting flame. Mismatch looked up, feeling too late the heat of the fire, and found himself looking at the backside of a turtleshell-shaped forcefield.

"Don't get careless, Manny," Hardshell called out as he hovered above the diminutive youth, providing protection.

Mismatch flashed his teammate a 'thumbs up', peeled the last of the webbing free and lifted off the ground in flight.

Snare circled over the Acid Snake and caught it in her psi-web. As the huge serpent struggled to free itself, the young girl, sweat pouring down her face, called over her shoulder, "I got it, now what do I do with it?"

Ragnarok flew down to land before the entangled serpent. He flipped a brief salute to snare and grinned. "Allow me, fair damsel." Using his battle mace, Ragnarok began to pummel the snake, ignoring the dripping saliva that fell on his arms and shoulders. Blow after blow landed on the snake's coiling body, forcing the huge monster to retreat, bellowing in pain.

Kaleidoscope flew high above the gym floor, before swiftly descending to stand before the Sklarrion Hypno-Beast. The creature sighted the young girl and its milky eyes began to swirl in preparation. Kaleidoscope stood her ground, lifting her left palm. As the beast's eyes reached full rotation, the young girl activated her power. The resulting flash of light, caused every living thing in the room, excluding the two combatants, to feel just a bit queasy. Flash after flash of light followed as the two tried and failed to overcome the other.

Myst came to rest on the gym floor directly in front of the huge Amphibserpent. The slow moving creature began to lumber toward the girl, tentacles waving toward her as it sought a new meal. Myst raised her hands and began creating a thick fog, centered locally around the huge creature. As the serpent became confused, it began hopping around in small circles unleashing a howling cry.

"Hardshell," NightOwl called as she sailed above the combatants, trying to direct the battle, "can you encase the dragon in your shield?"

The young Holoferenian paused to consider, then grinned. "Don't know, I never tried that, but it's worth a try."

"Do it," NightOwl ordered.

Hardshell began flying in circles around the angry beast and projecting his force field. In moments, the large beast was completely encircled in what appeared to be a circular wall of green turtle shell. The huge lizard roared its anger and began pushing against one wall.

"I don't know how long I can hold him, if he gets serious," Hardshell called to NightOwl. "So far he's not pushing too hard."

NightOwl looped higher still, trying to see the entire battle area. On the far side of the gym she could see the figure of Rromralav, waving his arms and exhorting his pets to redouble their efforts. "Dragonfly," she called to the Tsaurian youth, who had so far been held in reserve, "Take on the Acid Snake."

With a grim look on his face, Dragonfly nodded, and tucking his wings, sailed down to land beside Ragnarok. He grimaced as the first drops of saliva fell on his wings, then shouldered Ragnarok aside and began to use his fists to pound the beast.

"Ragnarok, NOW!" NightOwl sailed above Ragnarok and Dragonfly. "Take the battle to Rromralav." She pointed to the frenzied figure in the dark robes.

Ragnarok, startled to find Dragonfly shoving in to replace him, quickly recovered and nodded his head. He lifted in flight and swept across the gym to land, facing Rromralav.

As the two figures squared off, Ragnarok heard NightOwl's voice, "Try and make it quick, I don't know how long Joffre can take that acid saliva."

Rromralav laughed loudly and dropped into a fighting stance, letting his dark robes fall to reveal a well-built man in a white martial arts outfit, his face covered by the hood of an ancient ninja warrior. "Even without my pets, I have enough to defeat one such as you, stripling."

Ragnarok started forward, then hesitated. He turned to look across the gym where his teammates were trying desperately to hold off the great beasts. He noticed the Tangleweb starting to stir and realized that soon that formidable creature would rejoin the battle. He turned back to face Rromralav, who laughed again and faked a punch. Ragnarok flinched, then turned and fled back across the gym.

Flying dangerously close to several of the beasts, Ragnarok seemed to be seeking some hiding place, then he veered left and lifted Mismatch into his arms. He reversed his path and carried the diminutive boy back across the gym to Rromralav. He deposited the shocked Mismatch in front of the BeastMaster, and returned back across the gym, calling, "You're the better fighter, this should be your job." Reaching Dragonfly and the Acid Snake, he shouldered the Tsaurian aside. "Take care of the Tangleweb, she's reviving; I'll handle this."

Dragonfly, his green scaly hide beginning to smoke and peel, stepped back with a gratified smile, then flew to the side of the spider creature.

Mismatch and Rromralav faced off in a corner of the gym. Once the fight began, it was evident to all watching that the two were well matched. Each combatant threw punches and made kicks, few of which did much damage as each countered, dodged, blocked the other. Eventually, the size difference, plus the age difference, began to show. Mismatch, though virtually unhurt, was forced back into the corner, where his options were limited.

Each of the teens watching began to wonder if they should rush to aid the small boy from Earth.

Dragonfly realized the Tangleweb had made no attack even though his attention had wavered as he watched the struggle. He turned to face the beast, instead finding a very pretty red-headed young woman standing where the Tangleweb had been. The woman in the yellow and black costume smiled and placed her finger to her lips in the universal signal for silence. Then she too returned her attention to the fight.

Myst, caught up in the fight herself, suddenly realized her fog was dissipating rapidly. With a gasp, she turned to reform her wall of fog, then gasped even louder as she found her gaze falling on man dressed in a uniform of green, who was watching the battle with undeterred interest.

Hardshell was keeping the forcefield in place while he watched until he was startled by a very human voice.

"Hey, could you drop this sproking cage, I want to see the fight, too."

Hardshell dropped the field, and was joined by a red-headed man dressed in a costume of red and yellow flames. He stared wide-eyed as the man moved past him to get a clearer view of the fight.

The Hypno-Beast was replaced by a yellow skinned woman dressed in green. Kaleidoscope caught unaware, fired her power again, causing the woman to double over and void the contents of her stomach.

"Wha..." Kaleidoscope began before the fighting caught her eye again and she became another spectator.

Ragnarok suddenly found himself, not facing a large Acid Snake, but rather a young man with red hair, dressed in a maroon bodysuit, who had fleshed out the snakes coils with his elongated body. Startled, Ragnarok lost his grip on his mace and the huge weapon clattered loosely across the floor.

The battle continued to rage in the corner of the room. Mismatch was now spending his efforts to protect himself and to block the punches and kicks of his older, stronger opponent. Sweat poured freely down his young face as blow after blow narrowly missed him, or didn't entirely miss and the damage was beginning to accumulate.

NightOwl made the decision to help Mismatch. She turned in flight to inform her teammates and realized that the beasts they fought had transformed into humans. The shock of this realization caused her to veer from her intended glide path and her arm brushed against one of the gymnasium lights. The electric light arced across her arm and with a loud 'pop' her feathers burst into flame. She screamed as she lost control of her glide and plummeted toward the floor of the gym.

At the sound of her scream, Mismatch's opponent looked upward, giving the young boy the opening he had waited for. Spinning quickly, he focused his power into a well-executed roundhouse kick which struck Rromralav squarely in the ribs. The older man, his attention diverted by NightOwl's plight, was thrown off balance into a set of dumbbells and crashed heavily to the floor.

The red-headed man in maroon stretched his body across the room and caught the falling NightOwl in his arms. As he was doing this, the woman in black and yellow, transformed in to a giant Jandian fire beetle, with the head of the woman, scuttled across the floor to where NightOwl was brought to rest and quickly absorbed the flames from her feathers.

Mismatch, intent upon his opponent, advanced toward the downed man, who scrambled back to his feet, hand held high, and smiled, "OK, settle down son, your job is done. Time to see to your teammate."

Mismatch, Ragnarok, Dragonfly, Kaleidoscope, Snare, Deviant, Hardshell, and Myst all stood and stared at the events taking place.

Suddenly the air was broken by the voice of Chuck Taine. "Students, stand down. You have done well."

The nine teens all looked up at the sound of the voice of the headmaster, and saw the observation glass had been withdrawn to reveal Chuck and Luornu Taine, a male Durlan, a platinum-haired woman in red, and a dark-haired woman in pink, and looking very sheepish, Labyrinth.

The five adults in the observation booth took flight and landed on the gym floor in front of the students. Chuck stepped forward and addressed the students. "You have all done very well today. You have gotten a taste of what life for a Legionnaire can be like. Death and danger around every corner, yet each of you acquitted yourselves well."

"You mean," asked Hardshell," there never were any monsters?"

That question opened the floodgates and all the students began talking at once.

"But what about Rromralav?"

"That dragon was that guy, but how?"

"How did Labyrinth get up there?"

"They seemed so real, and they..."

"Yeah, how did they seem like the monsters?"

Chuck smiled at the kids' confusion, and raised his hands for attention. "Let me introduce our monsters." He waited for the students to settle down. "Our villain, Rromralav...none other than the Legion's own Val Armorr, Karate Kid."

The man in white removed his mask and bowed low to the students, then again to Mismatch.

Chuck continued, "Our Tangleweb...Lana Lang, the Insect Queen; the Acid Snake...Jimmy Olsen, Elastic Lad, both reserve members of the Legion."

The red-head in black and yellow smiled. In turn each person acknowledged Chuck's introductions.

"The Firelizard...Staq Mavlen; the Amphibiserpent...Ral Benem, Chlorophyll Kid, both of the Legion of Substitute Heroes. The Hypno-Beast...Tari Wahlmunn, Mandalla, a student here at the Academy."

Chuck paused for a moment then waved the men and women from the observation booth forward. "Providing most of the disguises...Projectra, Princess of Orando. Our fake Labyrinth...Toog Lintens of Durla, and keeping tabs on all the movements telepathically, Zera Oliet of Titan."

The students stared in awe for just a moment, then they broke ranks to crowd around the heroes, asking questions and collecting promises for autographs. Chuck allowed the students several minutes of hero worship, then broke in. "All students report to your rooms, get freshened up and meet in the assembly room in an hour for debriefing."

As the students reluctantly took their leave of the heroes, Chuck slipped his arm around Luornu and hugged her lightly. Luornu lifted her face to her husband and was rewarded with a kiss. "All in all," he told her, "it could have been worse."

Epilogue

Chuck, Luornu, Staq, Val, and Jeckie sat on one side of the long table, facing Toog, Jimmy, Lana, Ral, and Zera. Chuck sat back and ran his hand along his side, where his newly healed ribs were.

"Well, except for a few minor mishaps," he unconsciously rubbed his ribs again, "I thought everything went pretty well."

"Chuck," Luornu raised her voice, "those ribs were not minor. You could have died."

Chuck nodded and slipped his arm around his wife, "I didn't, and the kids performed as well as or better than we anticipated."

"In the end," Val interjected, "they had me worried there for a while."

"Val's right," Toog put in, "that Grim kid was a real jerk, at first, and the Noble girl wanted to abandon the fight several times."

Chuck nodded. "I agree, but they both performed admirably at the end. I believe young Mister Grim has a new appreciation for people of other races. He barely grumbled when I assigned him latrine duty as a punishment for his racist statements, and he finished the job in record time."

Luornu placed her hand on her husband's arm and grinned. "That's because Joffre and Che' pitched in and helped him, so he wouldn't miss the celebration party."

Chuck's mouth dropped open for a second and he half whispered, "Well I'll be damned."

Jimmy Olsen leaned forward and smiled. "I must admit, my favorite part was the fight between that Mismatch kid, and you, Val. It actually appeared that he was testing you a bit."

"That's because he was," Val grinned self consciously. "He surprised me. Every time I tried a better move, he found a way to counter it. It was almost like sparring with myself. That boy is one to watch, that's for sure."

Chuck stood and looked at the heroes gathered around the table. "I think we can consider the weekend's test a success. Jimmy, Lana," he turned to the two redheads, thanks for coming and helping out. A time bubble is waiting to return you to the 20th century whenever you are ready."

"Any time, Chuck," Lana Lang answered, "we don't get to visit often enough."

"That's for sure, Jimmy agreed. "Cripes, it was great putting on the costume again."

Chuck shook the hands of Ral Benem and Staq Mavlen. "Guys, excellent work, as expected."

"Thanks Chuck," Ral countered, "always glad to help out."

"Yeah, sometimes being a Sub gets pretty boring," finished Staq.

Chuck turned to the Durlan male, "Toog, thanks for finding time in your schedule to lend a hand. I hope we didn't take you away from anything too important."

Toog Lintens smiled and waved a hand to dismiss the idea. "Most of my research will benefit from me having a little time away, Chuck."

Chuck nodded and turned to the Titanian woman, "Zera, a pleasure as always. I have a small announcement to make, Zera has agreed to join the staff here at the Academy, beginning next term."

The tall woman stood and received the handshakes and hugs of congratulations. "A girl can only roam the galaxy for so long."

As the friends began to wind down the congratulations, Chuck raised his hand for silence. "I think it's time to join our young candidates. Tari has had them alone for long enough."

The adults started from the room, then stopped as the computer's warning signal beeped, and a small view screen popped up in front of the chair vacated by Chuck.

Luornu, being closer than Chuck, stepped over and peered at the screen. She grinned and waved her hand. "Nothing," she informed them, "just the U.P. security checks on the candidates. I guess they're running a bit behi..." Her voice trailed off, a fact that brought Chuck up short.

"Lu?"

Luornu Durgo Taine raised wide eyes to her husband, her face much paler than it normally was. "We have a problem, Chuck."

Chuck moved to her side and read the viewscreen himself, as the remainder of the adults stood in confusion, half in and half out of the conference room. Chuck's eyes moved back and forth across the information on the screen, then he too raised his eyes. "I think you should all sit back down," he informed the group. "We have a situation. I'm not sure what it really means, but we need to get to the bottom of it."

The party was in full swing, in the rec room. Tari was attempting to keep a lid on the noise, but the kids were wound up and needed to release some steam.

In one corner, Royston Elihu and Jilliane Zarita were getting better acquainted, as only teenagers can. Tari wasn't sure where Roy began and Jilly ended, and promised herself, with a grin, to break it up...in another 15 minutes or so.

Rhys Clari, Glori Essex, Kaj Kitwana, and Che' Xavyera were in the middle of the room, dancing, and hoping some of the boys would join them.

Joffre Zilpha and Josiah Grim were seated on opposite sides of a table, hands clasped in that time honored form of personal combat, Indian wrist wrestling. Manny Fitzhugh stood nearby alternately calling encouragement to each contestant.

Tari frowned as her eyes found Willow Olna, sitting halfway between the floor and ceiling, clinging to the wall, scowling at the merry making. The look of disappointment left Tari's face as she noticed that Willow's foot was beginning to tap the wall in time to the music. She felt certain the strange young girl would not be able to maintain her air of aloofness much longer.

A chorus of excited yells brought Tari's attention back to the arm wrestling pair in time to see Manny frantically pushing Josiah out of his chair and sliding into his place. Suddenly the intercom burst into life.

"SORRY TO INTERRUPT THE PARTY," the voice of Chuck Taine filled the room, "WOULD MANNING FITZHUGH IX, MISMATCH, REPORT TO THE DEBRIEFING ROOM IMMEDIATELY."

All eyes turned to fall on Manny, who rose from his chair, shrugged to his teammates and marched to the door. Before he passed into the hallway, he turned and grinned. "Save some partying for me, gang." Then he was gone.

The remaining students looked at each other. No one had the answer. Tari stepped forward to try and allay any fears, "Hey guys, it's probably no..."

"That lucky bastard," Royston Elihu blurted, "I bet they are going to invite him to enroll, next term."

"Cripes," burst out Joffre, "you're right. The way he handled Rromralav, I mean Karate Kid, he's a shoo-in."

"Sprocking-A," grinned Josiah, "and I let him have that fight. Way to go, Manny."

Tari smiled as the kids paired off and discussed Manny's supposed bout of good luck. In just a few moments, things were pretty well back to normal, or what passes for normal with young teenagers.

The door slid open and Mismatch, looking even younger in his street clothing, stepped into the debriefing room. He stopped short for a second when he saw the adults spread out in a rough semi circle, all facing the door. Mismatch saw movement behind him as he stepped into the room and spun to find Val Armorr and Toog Lintens had effectively closed off any avenue of retreat.

"Well, Mismatch," Chuck's voice brought his attention back to the Academy headmaster. "I think you have a few questions to answer."

"Yes, sir," was all the reply forthcoming.

Chuck turned the computer screen to face the young boy, who never took his eyes off of Chuck's face. "I received, a few short minutes ago, the security screenings for each of our applicants from this weekend." Chuck paused and studied the boy's face, which revealed nothing, then continued. "Among those screenings, was one for a young man named Manning Fitzhugh IX of Earth, along with the code name of Bouncing Kid. Care to explain?"

The young boy tensed slightly, and blinked several times to try and clear the sweat, that was pouring down his face, from his eyes. "Yes, sir," he began, and then his voice cracked and he coughed to cover his nervousness. "I am not Manning Fitzhugh," he stated simply.

"That much is obvious." Val Armorr moved around the table and stood facing Mismatch, "The question is, who are you, where is Manning Fitzhugh, and why did you lie?"

The young boy, called on the carpet, swallowed hard then spoke, "Well, Manning Fitzhugh is vacationing, a vacation paid for by me as a reward for allowing me to impersonate him."

"But why?" burst out Chuck, "grife, boy, I think I deserve...we deserve some straight answers."

"The why is easy," Mismatch actually smiled, "I knew you would never allow me here, using my real name. I had hoped after I spent some time here, that old wounds might heal. That I...we, might be given a second chance."

"Who are you that we would feel that prejudiced towards you?" asked Luornu. "We take in all manner of students."

Mismatch smiled again, then shifted his body around so that he was facing Val Armorr, before he spoke, "My name is Druiter, Jarik Druiter."

"DRUITER!" the name was almost a snarl as it passed Val's lips, "Nemesis Kid..."

"Was my older brother," finished Mismatch, ready for a physical attack from the martial artist. When no such attack came, he relaxed, just a bit and continued. "I grew up on Myar, trying to live down the treachery of my sibling. When I was old enough, I took over Hart's lab and recreated the experiment that gave him his powers. I was successful in duplicating, or nearly so, his abilities. I too, cannot be beaten in single combat. I had hoped to use this weekend to redeem my brother's name, and to possibly earn a chance to make good some of the wrong he did the Legion. I will understand if you choose to turn me over to the SPs." Jarik turned again to face Val Armorr, bowing low. "Hart always said that you were the true test of his abilities. The best single combat opponent he ever saw. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to test myself." The young man bowed again and stood silent, awaiting his fate.

Chuck Taine also stood silently, lost in thought for long moments. "Jarik Druiter, it is the decision of the Academy to report your deception to the Science Police." Chuck paused as Jarik paled slightly. Chuck looked around the room and received brief nods from all nine of the other adults. "Furthermore, the Science Police will be instructed to locate one Manning Fitzhugh IX, and should you be telling the truth as to his whereabouts and complicity in your deception, the certificate, given to each of this weekends participants, will be changed to show your true identity." Chuck caught Jarik's eye and held it while the import of his words sunk in and the boy's face again split in a huge grin. "Congratulations, son. You did great this weekend."

Val was the first to reach Jarik, and to extend his hand in congratulations and friendship. "You can spar with me anytime, Jarik."

Chuck stood grinning, then raised his voice, "Let's get down to the party before all the food is gone." He caught Zera's eye, and mentally thanked her for the telepathic connection used to network the ten adults on Jarik's fate. Then as he exited the room, he slipped his arm around Luornu and shut off the lights.


End file.
